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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28865661">Dystopia</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mittengal/pseuds/mittengal'>mittengal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stargate Atlantis</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 06:02:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28865661</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mittengal/pseuds/mittengal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Rodney discovers an Ancient device which he keeps secret from the team, with disastrous results!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Amelia Banks/Ronon Dex, Katie Brown/Rodney McKay</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dystopia</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Prologue<br/>
Rodney McKay could not wait to investigate the Ancient device he had discovered. If it was what he suspected, he didn't dare let anyone else know about it, especially John Sheppard. The team leader would order the device destroyed, and Mr. Woolsey would agree with him. The other members of his team would also agree. So he told John that the equipment in the newly discovered Ancient lab was damaged beyond repair, of no importance to begin with, and should be ignored. Under no circumstances should Dr. Zelenka know about it, Rodney thought to himself. He would want it destroyed too. So they moved on, exploring the rooms on the lowest level of Atlantis, and finding nothing of interest.</p>
<p>Chapter 1<br/>
The team waited anxiously in the conference room. Woolsey had called a meeting and Rodney was late. John was planning to give him a chewing out, and Ronon wanted to smack him in the head.<br/>
"Everyone makes mistakes," Teyla said, trying to be diplomatic.<br/>
"He yells at us if we are one minute late," Ronon said, and John agreed.<br/>
"I will send some Marines to search for him, but we need to get started," Woolsey said.<br/>
But when the meeting ended, there was still no sign of McKay. Woolsey called Katie, who said he had gotten up very early to get started on some work. But he had not been to his lab. The food workers in the mess hall had not seen him, which was unusual. McKay always ate breakfast, and took a pot of coffee with him. No one had seen or heard from him, and annoyance turned to concern. Teams were organized to search the huge city, but it was a daunting task. </p>
<p>Teyla and Jeannie went to the botany lab to talk to Katie, who had obviously been crying. Their baby son Rodney Albert, but called Junior, was sleeping in his cradle.<br/>
"I don't want to pry, but have you and Rodney been having any problems?" Teyla asked, trying to be as gentle as possible. Katie was easily intimidated, and uncomfortable with the military people.<br/>
"I didn't think so," she replied, "but Rodney was not comfortable being a father. I thought he was feeling better about it, but maybe not. I fear he only married me because Junior was on the way," she said, tears starting.<br/>
"I know he loves you very much," Jeannie said. "One night we had a bit to drink, and my brother told me how thankful he was that he ended up married to you, rather than Jennifer. He wants to be a good father. He even got a book from the psychiatrist on the subject. Something has happened, and we need to find him!"</p>
<p>Chapter 2<br/>
Rodney awoke lying on the floor of a cave. He looked up and saw a strange sight--many glowing crystals, which provided the only light in the pitch black cave. "Where am I?" he thought, starting to panic. He called out to his team members,"John? Ronon? Teyla?" but only an echo replied. Slowly, memory came back to him. He had been in the lab on the lowest level of Atlantis, working on the newly discovered Ancient device. He had been so anxious to get started that he had skipped breakfast, and even coffee. He had kept his discovery a secret from everyone. As he had first suspected, it was a time travel device. Not a time capsule, but a small box and a hand held control. Both could interface with his implanted sub space chip. Deciphering the Ancient text, there were certain places with a type of portal which could be used for time travel. One portal was on the mainland, near the settlement of New Athos. He remembered the other time machine discovered on Earth, built by a rogue scientist. It was unstable, had resulted in the death of it's inventor, and been dismantled after an accidental time travel trip with his team. It had ended well, but John made it clear that time travel was too dangerous, and not the purpose of the Atlantis expedition. Rodney had agreed, but was overcome by his scientific curiosity, and also his ego. After working on the device, Rodney was sure he could make a quick round trip to the mainland one year in the future, and no one would be the wiser. The mainland was close and held no danger.<br/>
The cave floor was damp and cold, and Rodney groaned as he stretched his stiff muscles and stood up. "How long have I been here?" he wondered aloud. He had not expected to lose consciousness. Accidentally pressing a button on the hand held control as he arose, he noticed the crystals responded, growing brighter, then dimming again. This was not expected. He remembered he had his tac vest on, with a flashlight, side arm, canteen, and some energy bars. As he ate one, he shone his light around and found a tunnel entrance which he hoped led out of the cave. He did not recall any caves on the mainland. He began walking thru the tunnel, which had a slight upward grade. After fifteen minutes, he saw light ahead. Another fifteen minutes, he emerged from the cave, and his mouth fell open in shock. Desert sand extended as far as he could see in any direction. This was not the mainland!</p>
<p>Chapter 3<br/>
The teams searched the city for any trace of Rodney, but found none, even using a device which would show signs of a dead body. "A death signs detector," John said flippantly.<br/>
Ronon laughed, but Jeannie said angrily, "not funny!"<br/>
"The guys are trying to ease the tension," Teyla said, wanting to calm everyone. She knew John and Ronon were anxious, as Rodney was a close friend in spite of all the bickering.<br/>
But after nearly four frustrating days, the search was called off. Radek said he wanted to recheck one last place.<br/>
"We have searched everywhere," John replied, dejectedly.<br/>
"I want to check that device in the lowest level lab one last time," Radek said. "Rodney was very interested, even tho he pretended not to be."<br/>
"I noticed that look in his eyes," Ronon said. "Like when he went nuts and destroyed a solar system!"<br/>
So after dismissing everyone else, John accompanied Radek to the lab. He sat down on the floor and leaning against a wall, fell asleep. He awoke with Radek shaking him, an expression of concern on his face. "It is what I feared--a time travel device!"<br/>
"Huh?" said John, then, "oh crap, not again!"<br/>
"I'm afraid so," Radek answered. "I read the Ancient texts that were with the device. There are portals which the device connects with. These remotes enable the person to travel forward in time to the designated portal. There are nine remotes. There should be ten, so Rodney must have taken one. They show energy signatures, and the last programming was to a portal on the mainland. So hopefully Rodney went there. No idea how far he went into the future. That should show on the screen but for some reason, it doesn't."<br/>
John sighed. "What to do now?" he thought. </p>
<p>Chapter 4<br/>
Rodney fought panic. What had happened to the mainland? Or was he somewhere else? The air was hot, with occasional gusts of wind, blowing sand. He took some deep breaths, and his scientific mind took over. He retraced his steps back to the place where he awoke. The crystals must have something to do with it. He began to examine the remote device more closely. But first he drank some water and ate another energy bar. He would need to conserve both.<br/>
He pushed the button on the remote which had caused the crystals to brighten. Another button connected to the device back in the lab on Atlantis. He pushed it and the crystals went out, then lit up again. He sent an SOS signal, but wasn't sure if it reached the device. And would anyone see it if it did? "I really screwed up this time," he thought sadly. "I will die here!"<br/>
He eventually dozed off to sleep, dreaming first of Wraith, then giant bugs, then his team members berating him. A light woke him up. He was lying with his back to the crystals, and the light was a small screen, previously dark, on the remote. It told him he had traveled 327 years, 4 months, and 16 days into the future, to a portal on Earth!<br/>
Rodney had brought some tools with him in his tac vest, and he took the remote apart. Maybe increasing the power would enable him to contact Atlantis. But nothing worked. Then he thought of the crystals, and pried a small one loose, and tried connecting it to the remote. "Can't hurt, might help," he said aloud. If it exploded, at least he would not die of starvation. </p>
<p>Chapter 5<br/>
After studying the device for several hours, Radek called John, who immediately came down to the lab. Radek looked exhausted, and John was glad he had brought coffee.<br/>
"Rodney is not on the mainland. Somehow he was diverted to Earth, over three hundred years in the future," Radek said.<br/>
"Why?" John asked.<br/>
"Some kind of interference. But there is also a signal from his remote device. SOS! It must be him!" Radek replied.<br/>
"Why doesn't he travel back?" John said.<br/>
"I don't know," Radek answered. "Probably what ever interfered won't let him."<br/>
"You look exhausted!" John said. "You need to get some sleep."<br/>
"I don't want to leave. I'm sure he is working on his remote, and there could be more signals," Radek said.<br/>
"I will bring you a cot to sleep on," John said. "We can't afford you getting sick!"<br/>
He came back a little while later with a cot, blanket, pillow, food, and water. He told Radek, "eat and get some sleep! That's an order!"<br/>
Radek lay down, sure he would not be able to sleep. But the exhausting days caught up with him, and he fell asleep, awaking several hours later by a loud beep, as a compartment in the device opened up and a screen activated. Rodney's garbled voice, along with a fuzzy image appeared on the screen.</p>
<p>John hurried down to the lab again, and heard Radek speaking with Rodney, who had made some adjustments on his end. The reception had improved, and he was telling Radek what had happened.<br/>
"Dumbass!" John yelled. "I can't believe you did it again!"<br/>
"I know I deserve that," Rodney said, with humility.<br/>
"I should leave you there!" John yelled again.<br/>
"I hope you don't mean that," Radek said.</p>
<p>Chapter 6<br/>
The group had assembled in John's office-Teyla, Ronon, and Radek. "What I am about to tell you must not leave this room. Loose lips, as the saying goes. If the IOA found out, who knows what they would do," John began. "Rodney has once again screwed around with a time travel device. He is trapped on Earth, no idea where, over 300 years in the future. We need to rescue him. I would enjoy kicking his ass, but I won't leave my team member behind. I won't order anyone, but I'm asking for volunteers. I know you have Torren to consider," he said to Teyla. "And you have a wife, Ronon. I won't blame either one of you if you decline. Time travel is an unknown quantity. At least with the Wraith, we know what we are getting in to!"<br/>
Radek spoke before he could continue. "I'm with you. In spite of our differences, I will stand by Rodney."<br/>
"I need time to think," Teyla said.<br/>
"I will not keep this from Amelia," Ronon replied. "I will tell her with your permission or not."<br/>
"You have my permission," John replied. "I know she isn't a blabber mouth!"</p>
<p>Amelia was putting a DVD in the player. They had planned to relax and watch a movie, one of the Jaws series. She knew Ronon was worried about something, and assumed it had to do with Rodney's disappearance. "We need to talk," Ronon said.<br/>
He told the whole story, short and to the point like a mission report. "I don't want to let Sheppard down. He needs me, and Rodney is a jerk but I can't turn my back on him either. If there is danger, Radek is no better at fighting than McKay, just doesn't panic or whine. If I don't go, John and Radek will go alone." He looked at Amelia and she saw tears in his eyes. "But you are my life! I don't want to leave you!"<br/>
"I will go! Teyla has Torren, she should not leave him. She told me his father has little interest in him,  now that he has a new wife and child. I would rather go and face whatever might happen, than be separated from you!" she said, a tear running down her cheek.<br/>
Ronon's big hand gently brushed the tear away. "I can't ask you to go! I want you to be safe. I swore to always protect you."<br/>
"I want to be with you, regardless of what happens. I can fight, and also help Radek with tech stuff. Talk to John!" she said.<br/>
They held each other in silence for a time, then Ronon said," I will talk to him. I would rather you were with me. I swear I will protect you!"<br/>
"I know you will protect us all!" she replied.</p>
<p>Teyla was torn between her duty as a parent and her duty as a team member. But looking at Torren's sleeping face, she knew he must come first. She knocked on John's office door. He was at his desk, lost in thought.<br/>
"I have made my decision," she said softly. "Torren needs me."<br/>
"I knew that would be your decision, and I agree. Amelia is coming with us." John actually smiled. "She can help Radek and kick ass too!" </p>
<p>Chapter 7<br/>
"I need to talk to you," John said as Major Lorne opened his door. "You must fill in for me for a few days. Rodney is somewhere on the mainland. There is an Athosian celebration going on which lasts several days, not exactly sure how long. They started partying early. Rodney got drunk and wandered into the woods. They are searching for him, and I am joining the search, along with Ronon, Amelia, and Radek. Teyla will be going of course. I would appreciate it if you would keep this quiet for Rodney's sake, even from Woolsey."<br/>
Lorne thought that sounded very strange. "Is that a direct order, sir?" Lorne said.<br/>
John looked down and sighed.<br/>
"If something is wrong, you can trust me. This whole thing about McKay disappearing doesn't add up," Lorne replied.<br/>
John looked uncomfortable. "No it doesn't. And that story is a lie." He then told Lorne the true story.<br/>
"Thank you for being truthful. I will help any way I can," the Major replied, shaking his head. "Leave it to McKay to screw things up! The IOA would love it!"<br/>
"That's the point. This isn't the first time he has gotten carried away with some new discovery and inadvertently caused trouble," John answered.<br/>
"I just hope Woolsey doesn't get too suspicious!'" Major Lorne said.</p>
<p>Teyla was waiting with Torren. A jumper ride to the mainland and back, then John went down to the lab, where the team was waiting, ready to go.<br/>
Each person received a remote, and John contacted Rodney. "We're ready to go, just need the coordinates."<br/>
Rodney gave them, adding, "I made adjustments for the crystals, which I think caused the problem. They will work, I think."<br/>
"You think?" John shouted. "I don't want my team landing some unknown time and place!"<br/>
"Uh, I didn't mean... I just..." Rodney stammered. "Let me go over my calculations again."<br/>
After a few minutes, Rodney said, "As far as I can tell, they are correct."<br/>
"OK!" John said. "On my mark-3, 2, 1, mark!" All pushed their buttons.</p>
<p>It was similar to traveling thru the wormhole, but not exactly. They arrived in the cavern feeling disoriented and a little dizzy. Looking around, it was pitch black except for the glowing crystals.<br/>
Ronon had his arm around Amelia, and told everyone to sit to avoid falling. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw a small light and reached for it. It was a flashlight which appeared to have rolled up against a wall. Shining it around the cavern, he called out, "McKay?" No answer.<br/>
"Rodney, where the hell are you?" John called out, also shining his flashlight around the cavern. But he was nowhere to be seen.<br/>
They found the exit, and with their P90 lights on, started up the tunnel.<br/>
"That flashlight looked like it was dropped," John said.<br/>
"I thought that too," said Ronon. "What could have happened? He would not leave on his own."</p>
<p>Arriving at the mouth of the cave, they looked around in wonder. Not only was the land a desert, it had a reddish cast to it, and there was a rocky outcropping behind them. Then Ronon heard a soft sound and turned around, looking up. A form was laying down, pointing a tube like thing at them. A dart flew out, hitting Ronon in the shoulder. More darts hit the others. They tried to raise their weapons but they became numb and one by one collapsed. Ronon got off a shot from his blaster before sinking down.<br/>
They did not completely lose consciousness, but everything was a blur, and they were paralyzed. They were placed in a cart which began moving slowly. They had no idea how long they were en route. Eventually they all fell asleep, awaking in a metal pen with shavings on the floor, inside of a ruined building.</p>
<p>Ronon was the first to wake, looking up to see Rodney looking at him.<br/>
"What the hell happened?" he asked.<br/>
"A dart hit me," Rodney said, pointing to his groin. "A few inches and I would have been singing soprano!"<br/>
"Who are they?" Ronon asked, checking for weapons and discovering none. He felt for the small knife in his hair, which had been missed.<br/>
"I didn't get a good look at them, but I remember their smell," Rodney replied, wrinkling his nose.<br/>
The doors and windows of the building were broken out, and from what Ronon could see, it looked like the ruins of a city outside. Figures wandered by, some looking in, some pointing and whispering. They looked dirty and unkept, and many seemed deformed. An occasional rat ran by and some small insects too.<br/>
The others began waking up, and John noticed the insects right away. "I hate bugs!" he said.<br/>
"At least they're small, not Iratus bugs," Ronon said.<br/>
"They look like roaches!" John said disgustedly.<br/>
"Rats and roaches survive anything," Radek said.<br/>
"Eww!" said Amelia.<br/>
Then they heard a creaking sound from outside the building. A ramshackle cart rolled by, pulled by a man with a hump on his back and one leg much shorter than the other. Another man walked by him, occasionally cracking a whip. "Stop"" he shouted, and shot something on the ground with a small, metal object. A squeak was heard, and the man picked up a rat by the tail, pulling out a tiny dart. He opened a box in the cart and threw the rat in. Then he yelled, "Go!" and the other man continued on. Then a woman with long matted hair and a bad limp hobbled by. She was scooping up roaches with what looked like a vacuum cleaner attachment, and putting them in a box.<br/>
"I wonder if that's what they eat?" Amelia said, with a shudder.</p>
<p>Ronon thought of his runner days, when sometimes he had to eat whatever he could grab. He often cooked rats over a fire. Once he was so hungry he tried to eat one raw but was sick for a week. He checked his coat pockets and nothing had been taken but weapons. He had MRE's, energy bars, and a canteen, as did the others in their tac vests.<br/>
The pen was tall enough to stand, tho Ronon and John had to duck their heads.They tried breaking out but it was solid. Two men walked in carrying spears, and laughed. They had been outside, on either side of the door. Obviously guards. One prodded at them with the butt of his spear. The other one said, "no bruise, Emperor get mad!" Then they went back outside.<br/>
Ronon pulled the small knife out of his hair, and began cutting the tough leather strips which held the pen together. He did not cut all the way thru, just weakened them. They would wait for a chance to break out.<br/>
Later another guard brought a large bowl of what looked like stew and set it next to the pen. They could reach thru the bars but no one did. It had a smell that Ronon recognized. Rat!<br/>
When it got dark they huddled together so the guards could not see, and ate cold MRE's and drank water. "I wonder why they did not take our food?" Radek asked.<br/>
"Probably did not know what it was," John replied.<br/>
"Lucky for us!" Ronon said.<br/>
After everyone had fallen asleep, Ronon was awake, holding Amelia close. It was his turn on guard duty. He was able to hear the guards talking in their "pidgin" talk, as rats nibbled their intended dinner.<br/>
"Female more tender. Big man too tough to chew, need cook long time. Other tall man too, tough and stringy. Little man not much meat. Other man best, soft meat, some fat for marbling. Emperor will want him! We have feast! Even our share good!" Then smacking of lips. Cannibals! </p>
<p>Chapter 8<br/>
The next day eight men entered the building, picked up the pen, and carried it out to a large open area. The team recognized them as the spear carriers who had taken turns guarding them. On a platform stood a large chair with a canopy over it. Behind the canopy was a small hut constructed of various pieces of wood and metal. A board nailed over the door read EMPER. Nearby was a hole in the ground with steam coming from it, and a bubbling sound was heard.<br/>
When the men put the pen down, the source of the steam could be seen--a huge iron vat of bubbling liquid, set in the ground. A person stood on each side, stirring with what looked like  gigantic wooden spoons.<br/>
People had gathered, standing in a group opposite the platform. Ronon was reminded of the degenerate convicts they had encountered on an island prison colony. John thought of the second Mad Max movie. Rodney thought of the cast of Braveheart. But none of these images were as bad as the actual people. They were dressed in dirty rags, and all had some deformity--missing or extra limbs, eyes, ears, or noses. Some covered with hair, others hairless. Many bent and twisted. Some were very small but whether they were children was impossible to know. The men who had carried their pen stood by the canopy with spears. They were larger and healthier looking than the others, tho all had some less severe deformity. A small thin man stood next to them with a crude drum, leather stretched over a pot. No one wanted to think about what the leather was made from. He began to beat the drum. Everyone fell silent as a man came out of the house, stepped up on the platform, and brushed some roaches off the chair before sitting down. He was as large as Ronon, but with an unhealthy bloated look. He wore only a loincloth, was completely hairless, and his skin was covered with a rash.<br/>
"I am the Emperor," he said, and the assembled people all bowed. He looked at one of the spear carriers, saying "Weapons!" The man disappeared into the house, returning with the team's weapons. P90's, sidearms, and Ronon's blaster. The team remembered hearing gunfire, and one time the blaster was heard charging, then screams.<br/>
"We don't know how to operate your weapons. One of my people has been killed!" he said, and went on to explain how they did not understand how to reload when the guns ran out of ammunition. A man had blown his own head off when he looked into the barrel of Ronon's blaster and pulled the trigger.<br/>
"Must have been on kill setting," Ronon thought.<br/>
"I order you to show us how to operate these weapons," the Emperor said.<br/>
"If we do, will you let us go?" John asked.<br/>
"No," he replied, looking at the bubbling vat. "But your deaths will be quick."<br/>
"Killing or darting them first will change the taste!" said an onlooker.<br/>
"Silence! I did not tell you to speak!" the Emperor shouted angrily, then ordered a guard to fetch him. The man began to run and the others scattered in fear. "Don't let him get away!" roared the Emperor, and the other guards took off after him. "Meanwhile, I will enjoy the female!" His hand was in his loincloth, but he seemed to have trouble finding whatever was there.<br/>
John and Ronon exchanged a look, and they all began kicking at the weakened joints in the pen. It began to fall apart. Ronon delivered a few shattering blows, and they were free.<br/>
The Emperor shouted at the guards, who turned and charged the team. John did a whirling kick and swept a guard's feet out from under him, grabbing his spear and stabbing him in the chest. Ronon did the same move with two guards, grabbed their spears, threw one to Amelia, and slashed them both across their throats in one sweep. Another guard charged Amelia, and was surprised when she used Teyla's stick fighting technique to parry the blow, then gut him. Ronon and John, back to back, fought off three more guards, who were soon dispatched. The last guard spotted Radek, who had picked up a spear, and stood with feet wide apart, knees bent, as Ronon had taught him. The much larger guard hit Radek's spear, knocking it from his hands. Backing up, the small scientist stumbled, falling backwards. He covered his face as the guard raised his spear for a killing blow. Then someone threw a handful of sand in his face, blinding him. It was Rodney, who had been hiding behind the broken pen. He kicked the man in the side of his knee, which caused him to fall on his own spear. Then Rodney fainted.<br/>
The Emperor had been watching from his chair, yelling curses at his guards. When he saw they were losing the fight, he jumped down and ran at Amelia, who stabbed him with her spear. He went down but grabbed her ankle and she fell. Before she could raise her spear, Ronon grabbed him and threw him in the bubbling pot. The two "stirrers" held him under the water until he eventually quit struggling. The other people had returned to the scene, but ignored the team. They began dragging the dead guards to the pot and throwing them in, obviously not concerned about loss of flavor. Then they encircled the pot and began cheering. Some were actually drooling.<br/>
"Let's get the hell out of here!" Ronon said, retrieving their weapons.<br/>
Radek was trying to wake the still unconscious Rodney.<br/>
"What happened to him?" John asked, not seeing any wounds or blood.<br/>
"He saved my life," Radek said, explaining what had happened.<br/>
John shook him, yelling,"OK, Rodney! Time to move out!"<br/>
They headed for the cave, a slightly disoriented and embarrassed Rodney in tow. Ronon was glad he had convinced the two scientists to learn some fighting moves.</p>
<p>Chapter 9<br/>
As they walked, a sound was heard in the distance. It became louder, and a small aircraft was seen. It looked like a cross between a plane and a helicopter, with wings, a propeller, and also a rotor. The sides were open, and a man was seen pointing a gun.  It circled them, then a voice came over a loudspeaker,"Halt or we will shoot!"  Ronon fired his blaster, hitting one wing. The craft wobbled, then righted itself, and flew away.<br/>
They began running toward the cave, Rodney huffing and puffing. But before they reached it, a larger aircraft flew rapidly toward them, releasing a cloud of smoke, which quickly drifted down on the team, totally obscuring vision. Then a heavy net was dropped. They struggled with it, coughing, and soon became dizzy, realizing it was more than smoke.<br/>
The craft landed, and two men retrieved the now unconscious team's weapons, arranged their inert bodies in the net, then flew off with them dangling.</p>
<p>When the team awoke this time, they were in a cell. No force field, just an old fashioned jail with a large lock on the door. Their weapons were again gone, along with their tac vests and Ronon's leather coat. This time his hidden knife had been discovered. But they had been left a jug of water. Ronon smelled it, and it seemed OK. They were thirsty and each took a drink. If their captors had wanted to kill them, they could have done it already.<br/>
"They could have left some food too!" Rodney complained, walking to the door and yelling "Hey!" several times.<br/>
"Be careful what you wish for," John said, recalling their last captors' eating habits.<br/>
Rodney was suddenly no longer hungry.<br/>
Eventually two men wearing white scrubs approached the cell door. Two uniformed men pointing rifles stood behind them. Ronon strode to the door, glaring at them. They moved back, saying, "we mean you no harm!"<br/>
"Could have fooled me!" John said. "First you threaten to shoot us, then you gas us, drag us in a net, and throw us in jail! Are we also invited for dinner?"<br/>
"Did you escape from the Trogs?" one man in white asked.<br/>
"If you mean the cannibals, yes," John answered. "We just want to go home."<br/>
"I am the Physician General, Dr. Marko. This my assistant, Dr. Rhine. We have come to see if you needed any medical care. Our Director will meet with you later."<br/>
Turning to the team, John said, "everyone looks OK." He noticed a few bumps and bruises but nothing serious.<br/>
"You seem to be the leader," Dr. Marko said, looking at John.<br/>
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, my team members are Specialist Ronon Dex, Sergeant Amelia Banks, Dr. Radek Zelenka, and Dr. Rodney McKay. We are a scientific exploration team. We accidentally came to your world and were heading home when we were, um, detained. Why not just let us go and we won't be any bother!"<br/>
"More time travelers!" Dr. Marko said, turning to his assistant. "Please inform the Director."<br/>
"Yes sir," he said, and left.<br/>
"How did you know?" John asked.<br/>
"I was told you were heading for the Cave of Crystals," Dr. Marko said. "Other time travelers have been inadvertently brought there. Most don't escape the Trogs."<br/>
"They aren't exactly big on fighting skills, or brains either." John said. "What's wrong with them anyway?"<br/>
"That's a long story. The Director will explain everything. Please know that we mean you no harm. We had no idea who you were when our security patrol spotted you in the Wasteland. And you did attempt to shoot down our gyroplane," he said.<br/>
"You had a gun on us, what did you expect?" said Ronon.<br/>
"Understood! But we are not your enemies and hopefully when you hear our story, we can be allies," the doctor replied. "Before you meet our Director, I will have food brought to you."<br/>
"Could we just have our vests and coat back?" John asked. "We have our own food, and no offense, but we are not too trusting about your food!"<br/>
"No offense taken! We are not cannibals but I can fully understand your reluctance to eat our food," Dr. Marko replied.<br/>
Soon the vests and coat were brought to them, and the team hungrily ate MRE's and energy bars, which tasted like prime steak to them!<br/>
With his mouth full of food, Rodney said in a sarcastic tone, "Thanks a lot, Sheppard!"<br/>
"What did I do?" John asked.<br/>
"Just introduced me last, behind Zelenka, and I outrank him!" Rodney said.<br/>
"No you don't," Radek said. "Maybe on Atlantis, but not off world."<br/>
"I outrank everyone but Sheppard, and that includes Conan and Wonder Woman!" said Rodney indignantly.<br/>
Everyone laughed, especially Amelia. "Sometimes you are," Ronon whispered in her ear, and she blushed.</p>
<p>Chapter 10<br/>
Dr. Marko and the two guards returned after the team had finished eating.<br/>
"The Director will see you in his office. I trust you will be cooperative."<br/>
John nodded, giving Ronon a look. The Satedan let the others go ahead, taking his usual place guarding their six. The two armed guards followed.<br/>
A stairway led up to an office building, then they were led to an elegant building next door. "This is our Executive Palace," Dr. Marko said, then left. The Director's office was impressive. A large oval conference table, with ornately carved edge and legs, and matching chairs, stood in the center of the room. Elaborate sconces and portraits of distinguished looking men and women lined the walls, along with an assortment of weathered looking objects in a glass case.<br/>
The two guards stationed themselves by the door, as the Director stood to greet them. He was tall and thin, with an unhealthy hue to his skin. "I am Alvin Morton, Director of Bubbleton. This is Vice Director Kay Simms," indicating a small woman in a wheelchair with the same unhealthy look. "We welcome you, and thank Technology that you escaped the Trogs." When he said the word "technology," all four made the Sign of the Cross, followed by the Vulcan hand sign.  "I know you are curious to know about this world. Please sit down and I will explain."<br/>
They all took seats, except for Ronon, who stood behind Amelia's chair. John stared hard, mouthing "Sit!" Ronon sat down next to Amelia, scowling.<br/>
Rodney smirked, whispering,"Bubbleton?"<br/>
"Shut up!" John whispered back.<br/>
The Director began the tale. "Something happened to our world in the 21st century. We are not sure exactly what or why, because most records were destroyed. Books were burned, computers smashed, cities were left in ruins. Untold numbers killed by violence and disease.  For some reason, people turned on one another, bent on destruction, and civilization collapsed. That's it in a nutshell." He paused, looking sad.<br/>
"Scientists had previously learned to control the weather," he continued. "We are not certain how, but tall towers had something to do with it. When the towers were destroyed, there was no more rain. That's why the land is a desert. Plants and animals all died out, except for rats and roaches. This city was walled off for protection, and engineers eventually built a dome, which we call the bubble. It is equipped with a force field to keep invaders out. Our ancestors did not want to keep the original city name, which has been lost to history. They disagreed on a new name, eventually deciding on  Bubbleton. I suppose it does sound a little silly! The bubble makes it's own weather, including rain, which we trap in reservoirs. We grow produce hydroponically, and make artificial meat in the laboratory. Livestock don't do well in the bubble. We also make various drinks, some alcoholic." He paused, then asked, "Would you care for a beverage? We have some excellent mead."<br/>
"Sounds good!" John replied. He had begun to trust that they meant no harm, noticing that even Ronon was more relaxed.<br/>
"What's mead?" Ronon asked.<br/>
"It's a drink made from honey," Amelia said, remembering drinking it at a Renaissance festival.<br/>
"We make the honey artificially," the Director said. "I understand it was once made by a type of insect which is extinct."<br/>
"I tried brewing some once," Radek said.<br/>
Rodney wrinkled his nose.<br/>
The mead was served, and they all were impressed, even Rodney. But he made sure it contained no citrus before he drank.<br/>
Then the Director continued. "We are a peaceful people, serious crime is almost nonexistent. A lawbreaker would be cast out of the bubble, and you know what would happen then. But all is not well. We have become progressively less healthy and scientists have not been able to reverse it. The majority of us are sterile, with fewer children born every year, and many don't survive. While most serious diseases have been eradicated, many of us are afflicted with an autoimmune blood condition, which both myself and the Vice Director suffer from. Medication keeps us alive. Scientists think it is a side effect of the artificial environment inside the bubble. But we have no other alternative. We know our people are dying out, but we have accepted it."<br/>
"What happened to the Trogs?" John asked.<br/>
"Again, we are not sure. Most likely a combination of inbreeding, poor diet, and a brain disease which is transmitted by cannibalism," the Director answered.<br/>
"What do they do for water?" Radek asked.<br/>
"They have a well which connects to an underground river. There were several Trog settlements in the area, but their wells dried up, and they invaded one another. Many were killed. Those who captured you are the only ones left, as far as we know," he replied.<br/>
Rodney was feeling ill at the reminder of cannibalism, but at the same time curious about life in the bubble. "Are there any more cities like this one?" he asked.<br/>
"We have no idea. There is no record of any communication outside our city," the director said.<br/>
"What about the other time travelers?" John asked.<br/>
"There has only been one group in my life time. Strange looking beings! They were small, pinkish gray skin, large domed head with slanted eyes, and a small mouth. They wore no clothing, and had no genitals. They were encased in armor which allowed them to escape the Trogs. They removed their armor because of the heat, and we were shocked!" the Director replied.<br/>
"Hermiod!" Ronon said. Everyone thought back to the first time they had seen him.<br/>
"They are Asgard," John said. "They do take some getting used to! Where did they come from?"<br/>
"They did not have much to say, just explained that the crystals in the cave had diverted them from their destination. They seemed unimpressed by us, and hurriedly left," the Director answered. "We asked them if they had a way to destroy the crystals, but they said it was not their problem. There are records of other human time travelers in the past, but none survived. It seems the Trogs killed them immediately."<br/>
"Their leader likes to put on a show," John said. "But he ended up invited to dinner!"<br/>
Everyone laughed, except for Rodney, who looked a little green.<br/>
"Maybe the other humans were lousy fighters!" Ronon said, then asked,"why don't you just blow up the cave?"<br/>
"We have tried dropping explosives from an aircraft, but they were not powerful enough. We don't venture out in the Wasteland on the ground because of the Trogs. I'm afraid we have become accustomed to our safety inside the bubble. The security patrols rarely venture out, only when our sensors detect activity nearby."<br/>
The team all had the same thought. We might be home if they had not ventured out!</p>
<p>"Would you care for more mead, or shall we proceed with a tour of our city?" the Director asked.<br/>
"We would enjoy a tour," John answered, and Rodney nodded enthusiastically. "But we do need to be on our way."<br/>
"You are welcome to stay as long as you wish, but I can understand your wanting to go home," the Director said.<br/>
"Please excuse me, but I must rest now. It has been a pleasure meeting all of you," Vice Director Simms replied.<br/>
"I must also take a rest, but I will send our Engineer General  to escort you. While you wait, you may examine our artifacts if you like, but please handle them gently. They are very old and fragile. Perhaps you might help us better understand their meaning," the Director added.<br/>
They left, the two guards remaining by the door. The team went to the glass case, opening the doors and examining the contents. There was a wooden box with "Holy Words" carved on the top. It contained pages from several books, with edges blackened. Some were pages from the Bible, other pages recounted the life of some saint, with an illustration of a robed man making the Sign of the Cross. The last pages were from a Star Trek novel, showing Mr. Spock making the Vulcan hand sign, old style computers in the background.<br/>
"Well, that explains a few things," John said.<br/>
Other artifacts included a small figure of a man with a red suit, white beard, and large belly, a small rusty metal race car, a spike heeled shoe, a decapitated stone garden gnome, and a flip style cell phone.<br/>
Ronon looked at the objects and asked, "is that guy's hand sign the same as flipping the finger?"<br/>
"Of course not!" Rodney said, horrified. "It means Live Long and Prosper!"<br/>
"Whatever," Ronon answered.<br/>
"All that's left of Earth," Zelenka said sadly, and Amelia agreed.</p>
<p> Chapter 11<br/>
The Engineer General looked much healthier than the Director. He was short and plump, with a bald head, thick glasses, and a slightly goofy smile. "I am Gomer Dorkins. I will escort you on a tour of our city. I hope you will enjoy it. But first, can you explain the meaning of the artifacts? We have always assumed the pages were of a religious nature, but we have no clue about the others."<br/>
Everyone looked at John.<br/>
Clearing his throat, he said sarcastically,"thanks team!" then began. "The writing is from a prominent religion of Earth." John decided not to explain the Star Trek pages, since it seemed to be almost a religion to some, including Rodney.<br/>
"This one is a mythical figure who brings gifts to children on a special holiday. This is a toy, uh, ground vehicle," he said, assuming they did not have cars. "This is an outdoor garden  decoration, which once had a head. This is a personal communication device. And this is a shoe worn by many women."<br/>
"Looks like a weapon!" Ronon said, high heels being unheard of on Sateda, and not worn on Atlantis.<br/>
"Thank you!" Dorkins said excitedly. "Now on to the tour." They filed out, the guards followed, and Ronon made a point of glaring at them.<br/>
John had stifled a laugh at the Engineer General's name.<br/>
Rodney whispered, "And I thought Meredith was a ridiculous name!"</p>
<p>The first stop was the control center, where equipment monitored the surrounding Wasteland. Then the hydroponic garden, where fruit and vegetables were grown without soil, and honey was made, most going to the mead brewery. Then on to the various laboratories, one where artificial meat was made. It looked pink and slimy, and the team decided to go vegetarian for the duration. Then the medical laboratory, and the adjacent  hospital. Entering the aircraft hanger, John wished he could fly some of them. Then the armory, where the team's weapons were stashed. Ronon nudged John, who mouthed, "not now." Ronon was unimpressed with their weapons, as was Rodney with the laboratories. Radek was less critical, realizing they did the best they could, with no information about the past. Amelia wondered if this was the destiny of Earth or only one possible future. She pictured the two scientists arguing about it when (or if) they got home.<br/>
Then they went 'outside' to the main street of the city. Dorkins explained excitedly how the dome worked. It gave off a diffused lighting, brighter during the day, darker at night, more like dusk. An artificial cycle to mimic day and night. The top of the dome was blue, simulating the sky, with some floating white wisps that resembled clouds. At night, starlike lights appeared. The whole effect seemed weird to the team, but the residents of Bubbleton knew nothing else. Dorkins was very proud of his city, often exclaiming, "isn't it marvelous?" with his silly smile.<br/>
"Um, yes, it is quite that," Radek replied.<br/>
John forced himself to smile and agree, stepping on Rodney's toe as the scientist rolled his eyes. "Ow!" he said, then mumbled, "Yes, impressive."<br/>
"It's very nice," Amelia said, and poked Ronon in the side.<br/>
"Yeah, cool, whatever," he muttered, wishing he had his blaster and knives. Dorkins had dismissed the guards, and he sensed no immediate danger, but felt rather undressed without even one knife.<br/>
"It is time for the evening meal," said Dorkins. "We can walk to a pleasant food establishment."<br/>
As they walked, there were as suspected, no cars, but many bicycles, and small motorized carts. Not a lot of traffic, and the pace of life seemed slow and relaxed. Or maybe people were just tired. Their clothing was nondescript, shirts and pants of similar style, in drab colors. They all wore the same "bowl cut" hair style. Very few children or elderly people. The buildings they passed were small and rounded in shape. Not surprising, since they lived under a dome. Some people stared at the visitors, but most didn't seem to care.<br/>
"What powers the carts?" Rodney asked.<br/>
"All power comes from the dome," Dorkins replied. "We are not sure exactly what the power source is, but instructions were left by the designers on how to maintain it."<br/>
Rodney's eyes lit up, but John said, "Don't forget we will be leaving soon." He knew Rodney wanted to learn about the power source, but John wanted to get home before anything else went wrong, and he knew the others felt the same.<br/>
They stopped at an outdoor restaurant, and soon an assortment of food and a jug of mead  were brought to their table. The vegetable dishes, bread, and fruit were very good, but the artificial meat still looked bad. No one tried it except Rodney, who made a face and quickly drank some mead.<br/>
Heading back to the Executive Palace, the dome lighting began to dim, signaling the night cycle. Ronon suddenly felt uneasy, and hoped it was simply the odd effect of the lighting.<br/>
Entering the Building, John started to say, "we really must be leaving soon," when they were suddenly surrounded by armed guards, guns raised. Dorkins turned to the team, his whole demeanor totally changed, silly smile gone. "Hands in the air!" he shouted. "You are now prisoners of the new government of Bubbleton."  Then to the guards, "taser them!"</p>
<p>Ronon was, as usual, the first to wake up. They were back in the same cell. He held Amelia against his chest as he leaned against the wall. The other three men gradually stirred, and Amelia looked up at Ronon and smiled. But her smile vanished as she realized they were not home in bed.<br/>
"What the hell happened?" John asked.<br/>
"I think there has been a takeover of the government," Ronon answered.<br/>
"Yeah, looks that way," John said, remembering what had happened.<br/>
"We were stunned!" said Radek, then muttered some curses in Czech.<br/>
"Ow, this floor is hard! What happened?" Rodney wailed to John. "I feel like I got stunned!"<br/>
"That's because you did!" Radek answered for him.<br/>
"We've got to get out of here!" Ronon said.<br/>
John went to the cell door, where a guard was stationed. "I demand to see Director Morton!"<br/>
Before the guard could answer, Dorkins appeared, saying," I am the new Director. Morton and his Vice Director have been eliminated, along with Dr. Marko."<br/>
"You mean you killed them?" Ronon said angrily.<br/>
"They were getting weak anyway!" Dorkins replied. "They would have let you leave." The nerdy persona had been replaced by an aura of menace.<br/>
"Why have you imprisoned us?" John asked.  "We don't care about your political situation, we just want to get back to our own time!"<br/>
"I have kept you so my scientists can experiment on you, and possibly find a cure for the blood disorder that affects many of us," he replied. "Tomorrow morning you will be moved to the laboratory. Your lives will be more pleasant if you cooperate." He smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. Then he turned abruptly and left. The guard looked nervous.</p>
<p>Chapter 12<br/>
The team knew they must find a way to escape before morning. The key to the cell hung on a peg opposite the door, far out of reach. The guard did not come near the bars, but stood by the wall.<br/>
Later that night, the guard changed. The team had been awake, talking in whispers, but had not come up with an escape plan. The new guard stared at Amelia, undressing her with his eyes. Ronon noticed and gave him an angry glare. The young man looked away but kept sneaking looks. Amelia noticed too, and whispered to Ronon, "don't look at him!"<br/>
"Why?" Ronon snarled. "I don't like the way he looks at you!"<br/>
"I have an idea. You won't like it, but I may be able to get the key!" she said.<br/>
"No!" Ronon said angrily, catching her meaning.<br/>
John spoke up, "do you have a better idea?"<br/>
"I don't want his hands on you!" Ronon said thru gritted teeth.<br/>
"He won't get the chance!" Amelia answered. " I have trained with you and Teyla! I can handle this twerp!"<br/>
"We need to get out of here!" Radek said.<br/>
"I don't want to be a lab rat!" Rodney said, his voice shaky.<br/>
"Ronon, she has kicked my ass!" John exclaimed.<br/>
Ronon mumbled agreement. He felt he should be taking care of Amelia, and the others too. But there was no other alternative. </p>
<p>They all settled down, pretending sleep. The new guard had also looked nervous, but he relaxed somewhat when he thought the prisoners were asleep. Amelia got up, walked to the door, saying softly, "hey there!" He looked her up and down, his face getting red. "Are you allowed to talk to me?" she asked. "I don't want you to get in trouble with your new Director."<br/>
"He's at the party, mead and girls, but us new guys have to be on duty!" he said bitterly.<br/>
"That's awful! But we can have our own party," she said with a wink. The guard looked her up and down again, his eyes stopping at her breasts, then down lower.<br/>
"But you're with that big scary guy!" he replied.<br/>
"Sometimes I like a little variety," she said, blowing him a kiss, with another wink.<br/>
He stood up and got the key. She noticed a very small bulge in his pants. He unlocked the door and Amelia came out. Then he relocked the door, put the key in his pocket, and reached for her. She stepped past him, frowning. "We should move away!"<br/>
"Right," he said, breathing heavy. They moved past the cell, then he started to unzip his pants. At that moment she brought her leg up, flipped him over, got him around the neck, and grabbed his Adam's Apple, digging her fingers in hard. He began to cough and gag, then went limp. Not sure if he was unconscious or dead, Amelia got the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Ronon was first out, grabbing the guard by both jaws and giving his head a quick turn, breaking his neck. Then frisked him, finding  a stunner and a hand gun. They took off down the hall, and up the stairs. The office building was deserted.<br/>
Outside, they heard the sounds of the party in the Executive Palace. A guard stood in front of the door. They stood in the shadows, and John picked up a small stone and threw it to draw the guard's attention. When he came to investigate the noise, he was stunned. Another stunner, a rifle, and another broken neck. They needed all the head start they could get, and could not risk a guard waking up and sounding an alarm.<br/>
Then on to the armory, where another guard stood at the door. He spotted them, but was stunned before he could react. The door was locked, and a search of the guard found no key. The only alternative was to shoot the lock, even tho the noise might alert other guards. Once inside, they quickly retrieved their weapons. Ronon hoped his blaster would still be charged. It was. He put it on kill and shot the stunned guard. Then they headed for the hanger. Unfortunately the shots at the armory had been heard and they encountered four guards who were soon eliminated. Reaching the hanger, they found another guard and a locked door. Ronon's blaster took care of both.<br/>
The hanger held an assortment of small aircraft. John would have loved to try them all out, but time was of the essence. There were gyroplanes, helicopters, some small one person machines, and some of the craft that had carried them to the city. They were similar in size to a jumper. They chose one, and John began inspecting the controls. Ronon stood guard by the door, insisting the other three get in the craft. The controls were simple and manual. John assumed the ATA gene no longer existed. A lever opened the door to the outside, and John yelled for Ronon to get in. As he ran to the craft, he heard some guards coming. He shot them, then climbed in as the craft rose, hovered, then flew thru the open door. It gained altitude quickly, as more guards shot at them from the ground.<br/>
John landed the craft and they hurried down the tunnel to the cave. Rodney was out of breath but did not complain. He hoped everyone still had their remotes, but before he could ask, they were all handed to him. He began programming them, as the others stood by the tunnel entrance, guns at the ready in case they were pursued.<br/>
"Ready!" Rodney yelled.<br/>
"Good!" Ronon replied. "I hear footsteps in the tunnel!"<br/>
"On my mark!" Rodney said. "3, 2, 1,"  Everyone picked up their remote, and pushed the button as he said "mark!" All hoping, some praying, they would end up in Atlantis, back in their own time.</p>
<p>Chapter 13<br/>
A group of guards came thru the doorway into the Cave of Crystals, but it was empty. A humming sound was coming from the crystals, which were glowing brightly and changing colors. They went in to get a closer look. The explosion took out the cave.</p>
<p>The team found themselves dizzy, disoriented, and slightly nauseous. Grateful to be home when they realized they were back in the lab with the time travel device. Ronon got to his feet, still a little shaky. It was different than the first trip, but no complaints. He lifted Amelia to her feet, making sure she didn't fall, and helped John up.<br/>
"I think I will just lay here for a few minutes," Radek said.<br/>
Rodney was holding his stomach. "I feel sick!" he whined. But he struggled to stand up.<br/>
"Better stay down for a while," John advised. He still felt queasy himself and did not want to see anyone vomit.<br/>
But Rodney wanted to look at the device, because he knew it would be dismantled and shot out into space. He stood up, staggered to the device, and threw up all over it. Before anyone could say "Eww," the box and the remotes began to spark. "Out!" John yelled. Ronon had already grabbed Amelia's arm, the back of Radek's collar with his other hand, and was propelling them out the door. John grabbed Rodney's arm and pushed him out, kicking the door shut behind him. Before he could yell, "Fire in the hole," there was an explosion. Immediately the fire alarm sounded. "Busted!" John said. They had hoped to sneak back to the jumper bay and go to the mainland without anyone knowing. They did manage to elude the fire crew by hiding in another lab until they left. Maybe they could pull it off yet!</p>
<p>John nervously entered the office.  Woolsey sat behind his desk, surrounded by paperwork and looking unhappy.<br/>
"Yes, sir?" John said.<br/>
"Have a seat," Woolsey said brusquely.<br/>
"Um, is something wrong?" John asked.<br/>
"Maybe you can tell me!" Woolsey answered. "This whole Rodney McKay disappearance is very suspicious!  I think there is more to it than him getting drunk and wandering off in the woods," he replied. "I have questioned Major Lorne and I feel he is hiding something, and I feel you are too, along with your whole team! I want to get to the bottom of this matter!"<br/>
John was prepared for this, and replied,"Do you really want to know? What if you are questioned by the IOA? Whatever the reason for Rodney's disappearance, it could be an excuse for them to discipline him, and all of Atlantis too!"<br/>
Woolsey sighed and rested his head in his hands for a minute. "See all this paperwork? The IOA is giving me no peace. I don't need this extra problem! I will let this matter go, but in the future, I expect to be kept in the loop! Is that understood?"<br/>
"Yes sir!" John answered.<br/>
"Is Dr. McKay alright?" Woolsey asked.<br/>
"Other than embarrassed, he's fine," John said. He had requested medical exams for all of them, claiming there had been some cases of food poisoning on New Athos. No one had any ill effects from their time travel ordeal.<br/>
"Then you are dismissed!" Woolsey said, and John quickly left, heading for Rodney's lab.</p>
<p>"I wish to speak with you in private, Dr. McKay," John said.<br/>
"Um, why so formal?" he asked. Rodney tended to be clueless when it came to reading people, but he knew John was not bringing good news. They went into a small side room and shut the door.<br/>
"I have spoken with the other team members. I will come right to the point. You are no longer trusted. As of now you are off my team. Dr. Zelenka will take your place." John said firmly.<br/>
Rodney's mouth fell open in shock. "Wh wh what?" he stammered.<br/>
"You have plenty of work here in your lab. Be thankful Woolsey is letting the matter drop rather than sending you back to Earth," John said, looking Rodney straight in the eyes.<br/>
"Is this final? Isn't there anything I can do to make you trust me again? Do you want me to beg you for forgiveness?" Rodney sounded both angry and desperate.<br/>
"Of course not! It's not a matter of forgiveness. No one dislikes you and we still care about you. The point is, we can no longer trust you!" Then he turned and left.</p>
<p>Epilogue<br/>
Several months went by. The missions went smoothly with no serious problems. Radek worked well as team scientist, but it was just not the same. Everyone missed Rodney, in spite of his complaining. Ronon was surprised at himself, previously thinking he would be glad to be rid of the sometimes arrogant scientist, who often disrespected him. He spoke to Teyla and they went together to John's quarters.<br/>
"What can I do for you?" John said as he opened his door.<br/>
Teyla would have exchanged some pleasantries first, but Ronon said,"we want McKay back!"<br/>
"I also want Rodney to rejoin our team," Teyla said.<br/>
"How coincidental!" John said. "I was planning to speak with you both about that."<br/>
"We don't want to offend Dr. Zelenka. He is as good a scientist as Rodney," Teyla said. "And we do like him!"<br/>
"He's a good guy, and as smart as McKay!" Ronon said. "How is he doing? When I visited him in the infirmary, he was feeling really sick and barely made it to the toilet!"<br/>
On the last mission, Radek had eaten what he thought were blueberries, even tho he had been advised not to eat anything without checking with Teyla or Ronon. He vomited profusely and had severe diarrhea.<br/>
"Yes, he was very sick!" Teyla agreed. "Those berries are used as a laxative by my people, but only in very small quantities."<br/>
"He ate a bunch before I noticed and told him to quit! A while later he crapped his pants!" Ronon said.<br/>
"He's feeling much better after some meds." John said. "Please don't mention his, um, accidents!"<br/>
"Of course not!" Teyla answered.<br/>
"I won't tell," Ronon said. "But if it was McKay, I would!"<br/>
They all laughed, then John said, "even before the incident with the berries, Radek told me he did not enjoy going off world as much as he thought he would. He asked to be off the team when I could find a replacement.  I plan to speak to Rodney. I believe he has learned his lesson.</p>
<p>Rodney had been avoiding his former team members, and was surprised to see John enter his lab.<br/>
"Uh, what do you want?" he asked nervously.<br/>
"I'm not planning to beat you up," John answered flippantly. "I would have brought Ronon for that!"<br/>
"You're not really funny!" Rodney answered.<br/>
"I think I am!" John answered, with a shrug. "But seriously, let's go have a drink!"<br/>
"Why?" Rodney asked.<br/>
"To talk! You should have no problem with that!" John answered.<br/>
They talked, Rodney first insisting he did not want to rejoin the team, but finally admitting how much he had missed them all.<br/>
"Welcome back to the team!" John said, as they shook hands. "But any mention of time travel and I will beat your ass myself, then let Ronon and Teyla have their turns!"</p>
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